UK MPs demand stronger sanctions against Israel

Focus on aid access in Gaza is 'too narrow', Prime Minister Keir Starmer is told in letter from 96 parliamentarians

Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate outside the Foreign Office in London. PA

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A group of 96 UK parliamentarians are demanding stronger economic action against Israel, following Britain's recent moves to impose sanctions on individual Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and suspend new trade talks.

In a letter to the Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, the parliamentarians, including 72 MPs, expressed “grave concern” over the “relentless violence against Palestinians” across Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

They welcomed the UK’s recent measures but said that they “fall short of what is needed”. They called on the government to “move beyond sanctioning individual settlers but sanction state officials, including ministers, and introduce sanctions in respect of the state of Israel”.

They also called for a ban on trade with illegal settlements and the suspension of the existing free trade agreement with Israel.

“Failure to act not only undermines the integrity of the agreement but also signals tolerance for grave breaches of international law,” the letter said.

Mr Starmer recently changed his tone on Gaza, describing the humanitarian crisis as “intolerable” and “appalling”. Last week he told MPs the UK would “keep looking at further action along with our allies, including sanctions”, but that a priority was to “get back to a ceasefire”.

The letter said the UK’s focus on aid reaching Gaza was too “narrow” that did “not address broader systemic violations” by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

The signatories came from across parties, and included Labour MPs Diane Abbott, Valerie Vaz, and Abtisam Mohamed, Conservative MP Kit Malthouse, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, who has Palestinian heritage, and independents including Jeremy Corbyn and Shockat Adam.

Barristers Helena Kennedy and John Hendy, and former Conservative minister Sayeeda Warsi, who all sit in the House of Lords, were also among the signatories.

It comes as 300 Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office staff who raised concerns about the UK’s policy on the Israel-Gaza war were told they could consider resigning.

The staff letter was sent to Foreign Secretary David Lammy last month, according to the BBC.

In it, officials questioned the UK's continued arms sales and what they called a "stark … disregard for international law" by Israel. They feared that the UK government could be viewed as “complicit” in Israel’s alleged breaches.

The May 16 letter said: "In July 2024, staff expressed concern about Israel's violations of international humanitarian law and potential UK government complicity. In the intervening period, the reality of Israel's disregard for international law has become more stark."

In its response, the Foreign Office said it had systems for staff to raise concerns and added that the government had "rigorously applied international law" in relation to the war in Gaza.

Sir Oliver Robbins and Nick Dyer, the two most senior civil servants in the Foreign Office, drafted the reply, telling signatories: "[I]f your disagreement with any aspect of government policy or action is profound your ultimate recourse is to resign from the civil service. This is an honourable course.”

It is believed to be at least the fourth time that civil servants have expressed their concerns to ministers since the war began in October 2023.

The signatories are understood to represent a wide range of expertise across Foreign Office departments, embassies and missions, in London and overseas.

The letters have reflected the scale of the civilian death toll in Gaza, Israel's restrictions on the supply of aid and Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence in the occupied West Bank, among other issues.

Staff who are required to implement decisions also fear they could be liable in any future legal proceedings against the UK government.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “Since day one, this government has rigorously applied international law in relation to the war in Gaza.

“One of our first acts in government was to suspend export licences that could be used by the Israeli [military] in Gaza.

“We have successfully implemented the suspension decision and continue to refuse all relevant licence applications.

“We have suspended direct exports of F-35 parts for use by Israel, and we categorically do not export any bombs or ammunition which could be used in Gaza.

“We have also suspended negotiations on a free trade agreement, while supporting humanitarian efforts through the restoration of funding to UNRWA, and the commitment of over £230 million in assistance across the past two financial years.”

They added: “It is the job of civil servants to deliver on the policies of the government of the day and to provide professional, impartial advice as set out in the Civil Service Code. There are systems in place which allow them to raise concerns if they have them.”